Airline delays set record in 2006

Airline delays set record in 2006 — Airline delays increased sharply last year to record highs because of a rash of bad weather starting in the fall that shut airports and stranded thousands of passengers, according to federal data. (USA Today)

Boeing scraps wireless system on 787 — Boeing has scrapped plans for a wireless entertainment system on its new 787 “Dreamliner,” about eight months before the plane’s first scheduled flight. (AP)

Passport rules are flexible â€“ for now — The United States’ new passport requirement is in full effect, but the rule has proved less cut and dried than Americans expected. Airlines say they have turned away few passengers since Tuesday, when they had to start checking passports for all international flights including Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. (The Arizona Republic)

Prisoners of our passports — In case you were snoozing, this week the United States rolled out the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which, among other things, requires U.S. citizens to present a passport when they travel by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean — well, just about anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. Charlie Leocha asks, â€œWhy?â€ (Charles Leocha on Tripso)

No passport, no problem — Looking for a getaway without the fuss of reading maps, organizing tours and visas. Try the U.S. Virgin Islands. It’s also hassle-free for those visiting from the continental U.S., as no passport is needed. (AP)

Alaska air posts loss — By the end of 2008, Alaska will have jettisoned its last MD-80 and moved to an all-Boeing fleet, continuing a trend of cost reduction, said CEO Bill Ayer. The airline will take delivery of 14 Boeing 737-800s in 2007 but will add a single new route at most. (The Street.com)

Prices â€“ not politics â€“ slows Cuba tourism — The number of tourists visiting Cuba dropped 3.6 percent last year due to high prices and not political uncertainty over Fidel Castroâ€™s illness, travel industry sources said. (Reuters)

Family kicked off plane triggers… nostalgia? — An pre-flight incident on an AirTran flight that resulted in a family getting booted from the plane because of an unruly 3-year-old reminded this writer of similar experiences from his past. (AP)